Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving

What is this course about?

This course teaches you the skills you need to make better decisions, spur creativity and implement that innovation in a practical way in the workplace. By applying a proven theoretical model of the human brain, you discover your personal thinking style and analyze the styles of others. Using this knowledge and flexing to another's preferred style, you can maximize team involvement, generate a greater number of possible solutions and conclude with better business decisions.

Who will benefit from this course?

The course benefits anyone needing to make decisions and develop creative solutions to daily business problems.

What kind of background do I need?

No special background is required for this course.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the process of dissecting any complex problem or decision into a series of smaller, more manageable components, which helps to make the solution more evident and the problem easier to solve.

What is creative problem solving?

Creative problem solving skills allow you to think "outside the box" of available information and data to formulate an innovative solution. In today's competitive environment, these "out of the box" solutions ensure individuals and organizations remain future-focused in a changing marketplace.

What is the relationship between critical thinking and creative problem solving?

Critical thinking and creative problem solving are two separate modes of thinking. Each uses a separate part of the brain, one for analysis of existing facts, figures and other data, while the other focuses on intuitive, holistic and feeling-based solutions. These correspond to the left and right side of the human brain. Both types of thinking must be used to arrive at the best solutions to problems and in making the best decisions.

What is unique about this course?

This course approaches the challenging issue of balancing critical analysis and creativity. In this course, you discover your own preferred thinking styles and those of others in the workplace. Once this is understood, you are more equipped to balance these thinking styles personally and professionally to your advantage.

What new skills will I have after I take this course?

After completing this course, you will be able to use processes to analyze problems and make better and more supportable decisions. You will have the skills to adapt to various thinking styles in group and team environments and be able to recognize and remove barriers to individual and group creativity to foster an innovative environment. In addition, you will have gained tools to present your ideas clearly and concisely to increase stakeholder buy-in.

You will be able to use new approaches to stimulate your own creativity and as well as the creativity of those around you in the workplace.

Will I be more creative after I take this course?

Yes! This course provides tools, techniques and approaches on how to stimulate personal creativity along with practical guidance on how to implement these new skills in your workplace.

Does the course use a specific model such as Myers-Briggs?

Yes. This course focuses on the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) developed by General Electric as a model for understanding thinking styles and preferences.

The course also explains how other popular models correspond to the HBDI.

How much time is spent on each topic?

What kinds of workshops are included in this course?

Approximately 65 percent of the course is spent on workshops. These workshops allow you to gauge your own personal thinking preference and the preferences of people around you in order to develop a personal decision-making toolkit. You practice adapting to colleagues' preferred styles in order to more effectively communicate your message and build teamwork. You learn to use decision analysis models to identify optimum solutions to problems. You also gain experience in analyzing left- and right-brain characteristics and identifying roadblocks to success.

Is this course applicable toward a Project Management Institute (PMI) certification?

Yes. Though this course is not designed as preparation for an exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward, or maintaining, a PMI certification. Most PMI certifications require a specific number of PDUs in order to obtain and maintain the credential. Completion of this course provides 17 professional development units (PDUs).

Learning Tree offers several courses that help you prepare for PMI certifications, including Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® Exam, which prepares you for PMI's most popular certification. For more details on these courses and PMI certifications, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

Learning Tree offers a number of courses in management, communication and planning.

• 292, Communication Skills: Results through Collaboration focuses on individual communication styles. This course (284) looks at identifying personal thinking styles. These two courses together help you develop your own personal awareness and your personal effectiveness in dealing with others.
• 290, Management Skills provides the skills you need to capture the diversity of individual personality types in order to develop synergy in a team environment.
• 905, Facilitation Skills offers the skills to facilitate goal-oriented results through planning, collaboration and consensus
• 246, Managing Information Overload: Techniques for Working Smarter provides the skills needed to process fast-paced information to develop a competitive edge.
• 346, Project Leadership: Building High-Performance Teams addresses how to lead and motivate people in a project environment. This involves understanding the specific needs and expectations of a team of individuals with diverse thinking styles.
• 294, Influence Skills: Getting Results without Direct Authority examines how rapport is established between individuals through matching preferred patterns of communication, which are directly linked to thinking styles.
• 219, Business and Report Writing: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction offers the skills to create more effective business documents and reports.